Stabenow, Colleagues Pass Historic Legislation Bringing Health Coverage to Millions of Uninsured Children

Press Release

Stabenow, Colleagues Pass Historic Legislation Bringing Health Coverage to Millions of Uninsured Children

Threatened Presidential Veto Would Deny Coverage to Approximately 4 Million Children

U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) today announced Senate passage of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization Act of 2007. The program provides health insurance to children of working families who are not eligible for Medicaid, but unable to afford private health insurance. The legislation will provide Michigan with the resources to try to reach the approximately 90,000 children currently eligible, but not enrolled.

"This is truly a victory for working families," said Stabenow. "This bipartisan bill is a critical step in providing coverage to the millions of children that can not afford health care. Parents in the greatest country in the world shouldn't have to go to bed worried about what they will do if their children get sick."

The $35 billion bipartisan agreement will bring health coverage to approximately ten million children - preserving coverage for all 6.6 million children currently coverage by CHIP and reaching millions more low-income, uninsured American children in the next five years. Under the agreement, Michigan will receive approximately $211 million in funds next year to cover children without insurance.

"The President's signature is the only step needed to improve the successful Children's Health Insurance Program and cover millions of uninsured children," said Stabenow. "The overwhelming bipartisan majority supporting this bill needs to hold the President accountable if he acts on his veto threats and says ‘no' to America's working families."

Today, Senator Stabenow unveiled a way for Americans to let the President know that they support providing health insurance to low-income children. An online petition allowing Americans to urge the President to sign this important legislation can be found at democrats.senate.gov.

Also included in the Children's Health Care bill is a section authored by Senator Stabenow to provide grants to demonstrate the effectiveness of electronic medical records for children. These technologies reduce medical costs by improving efficiency, quality of care and patient safety. A study by the RAND Corporation suggested savings as high as $81 billion a year through effective use of electronic records.

Additionally, a provision authored by Stabenow establishes that states can recognize school-based health centers in their Children's Health Insurance Programs. In Michigan, nearly 100,000 children are served each year through school-based health centers located throughout the state.

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